The Oklahoma City Thunder sent a loud message Tuesday night, dismantling the San Antonio Spurs 119-98 in a game that felt like a statement - even if Victor Wembanyama wasn’t buying the revenge narrative.
“I don't think so,” Wembanyama said when asked if the Thunder were out for payback after dropping their first three meetings with San Antonio this season. “I think their motivation tonight wasn't more than it was for the second and third game.”
Still, the result told a different story. Oklahoma City, owners of the NBA’s best record, looked locked in from the opening tip - and especially in the third quarter, where they blew the game wide open with a 40-24 run. It was a full-team effort, but it was also clear they came in with a plan to make life uncomfortable for Wembanyama.
And they did just that.
Wemby, back in the lineup after hyperextending his left knee on New Year’s Eve, logged 28 minutes - his most court time since the injury - and finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. He shot a respectable 7-of-15 from the field, but the Thunder made a concerted effort to keep him from getting into rhythm, limiting him to just one three-point attempt and consistently crowding his space.
“That was a little bit much,” Wembanyama said of the Thunder’s physicality. “Not really like a huge screen or a hard foul, but different things from that.”
It wasn’t just the Thunder’s defenders that were locked in - the OKC crowd was in full playoff mode. Every time Wembanyama touched the ball, the boos rained down. But the 7-foot-7 phenom, who’s no stranger to intense road environments from his time in Europe, took it in stride.
“It's much harder because the players are much better,” he said with a grin.
Even in a tough loss, Wembanyama found a personal milestone. He recorded the 500th block of his young career, adding another chapter to what’s already shaping up to be a historic defensive résumé. He’s averaging 2.7 blocks per game this season - down from the 3.8 he posted as a rookie - but that’s more a reflection of how teams are adjusting to him than any dip in form.
“It's been harder to block shots lately,” Wembanyama admitted. “I've been having less opportunities, but our defensive rating has still been mostly pretty good and better than in the past when I was blocking four shots a game.”
Against the Thunder, several of his block attempts were whistled for goaltending - a frustrating but familiar part of life for a player with his timing and reach.
“I think it can go both ways,” he said. “More than a couple times in my career, our staff has reviewed goaltendings that were overturned.
So, it proves that sometimes there's better reflexes, but (vs. the Thunder) I'm really not sure. They might have been goaltending.”
Wemby with the FLOP OF THE YEAR 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zR3FPwStmJ
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) January 14, 2026
Now, the Spurs have a few weeks to regroup before they see Oklahoma City again on February 4 in San Antonio. That’ll be the final regular-season meeting between the two - at least on the schedule. But if the Thunder and Spurs continue on their current trajectories, it’s not out of the question that their paths could cross again in the postseason.
For now, though, the Thunder have the upper hand. And while Wembanyama may not see it as revenge, Oklahoma City sure looked like a team that remembered the first three matchups - and wasn’t about to let it happen a fourth time.